Air Farce New Year's Eve returns on Dec. 30 with cast member Jessica Holmes

CBC’s long-running New Year’s Eve special edition of Air Farce returns on Dec. 30 — moved from its titular airdate because of Hockey Night in Canada — and features the return of Jessica Holmes to the comedy cast.

As per usual, Air Farce features numerous special guests, including Yannick Bisson of Murdoch Mysteries, taking a side gig as a Canada 150 re-enactor; Peter Mansbridge prepares for his final sign-off with a stab at fake news; and soccer superstar Christine Sinclair fans the Olympic flame for a young admirer. There will also be appearances from Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean, political party leaders Tom Mulcair and Elizabeth May, and MPs Tony Clement and David Christopherson.

During the one-hour special, 2016’s biggest news stories, events, people, and pop culture phenomena are satirized in various skits, from Rihanna to Stranger Things to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Last year, Air Farce New Year’s Eve special drew 1.25 million viewers.

Original cast member Don Ferguson looks back on the troupe's 44-year history: 'We didn't have a mission or a plan or a theory. We wanted to make ourselves laugh and find a way to share what we found funny with other people.'